Pregnancy Symptoms 2.0

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Symptom: Dizziness and Disorientation

Without much in the way of preparation, societal conditioning or role models, Dadhood 2.0 can hit a guy like a ton of diapers. Nurturing, caring and patience were not much encouraged on the football fields or fraternity basements of our youth. Suddenly, Dad 2.0 is tackling years of socialization and stereotyping without a whole lot of help.

"For many new dads, parenthood brings such dramatic changes that we just want to scream out loud: 'It's not supposed to be this hard!' " says Hal Runkel, M.M.F.T., a licensed marriage and family therapist and author of ScreamFree Parenting: The Revolutionary Approach to Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool (Broadway Books). "But who are we supposed to scream at--our wives? They can easily trump us with all the changes they're going through. That's why it's vital to have some guy friends and other resources to help you through the process," Runkel adds.

Rx: Find authentic, experienced male voices. Read some Daddy Lit like Elisha Cooper's Crawling: A Father's First Year (Pantheon); check out a daddyblog or two at Dadcentric.com; and (with apologies for the shameless plug) view the hilarious and informative videos at my website, DadLabs.com.

Symptom: Feeling Emasculated

You may find yourself in the OB-GYN's waiting room, wondering, What has happened to my manhood? Will I be less of a guy when I am washing bottles and toting diaper bags? Will all the new responsibilities and obligations of being a father come at the expense of all my fun guy stuff? What about the playoffs? Balancing new roles and old can be a challenge.

Rx: Keep a guy thing going. During the pregnancy, negotiate for postnatal preservation of one activity you really enjoy: poker night, golf, action movies--and allow that to be a priority. Be prepared to let the others go, at least temporarily.

"One way I stay in touch with my guy side is retreating to my TV room and watching my favorite teams or catching Tiger making his run on Sunday afternoon," says Robert Yang, founder and publisher of the parenting and design blog Coochicoos.com. "That's my time to reclaim a little of what might be lost when the baby comes."

Symptom: Performance Anxiety

Given the heightened expectations, men are more anxious than ever that they may not be up to the task. Worries range from fears about holding a newborn right to not being able to talk about sex/drugs/alcohol with the kids later without being a huge hypocrite. "It's normal to be a bit freaked out over this," says Russ Adams, Ph.D., a marriage and family therapist in Austin, Texas. "It's part of a man's development."

Rx: Give it time--literally. The thing kids want and need more than anything doesn't require skill or technique, though it does take planning: It's your time. From the get-go, make it a habit to spend time with your child; the quality will automatically follow. As Adams says, "Focus on the relationship; the skills will work themselves out."